I Belong

Ever wanted to go to space? We have the first novel in an exciting new space adventure by Claudia Gray on the blog today! Go on an interstellar journey in Defy the Stars where the author explores what it means to be human. We have a lot of exciting stuff on the blog today to celebrate! Be sure to check out the some pretty cell phone backgrounds below! Also, don’t forget to check out Bridget’s review here.

Take an Intersteller Adventure by entering for your chance to win a copy of Defy the Stars, Nebula ear studs and Constellation ear cuffs! This giveaway is open to U.S. addresses only. A huge thank you to Little, Brown & Co. for this giveaway!

About Claudia:

Claudia Gray is the author of the bestselling Evernight series, Fateful, the Spellcaster trilogy, and the Firebird trilogy. She is also the author of the young adult Star Wars novels Lost Stars and the forthcoming Bloodline. She has worked as a lawyer, a journalist, a disc jockey, and a particularly ineffective waitress. Her lifelong interests include old houses, classic movies, vintage style, and history. She lives in New Orleans.

One lucky reader will win a “Take an Intersteller Adventure” Prize Pack featuring a copy of Defy the Stars, Nebula ear studs and Constellation ear cuffs!

Available April 4, 2017 from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

About this Book:

Our worlds belong to us.

She’s a soldier.

Noemi Vidal is seventeen years old and sworn to protect her planet, Genesis. She’s willing to risk anything–including her own life. To their enemies on Earth, she’s a rebel.

He’s a machine.

Abandoned in space for years, utterly alone, Abel has advanced programming that’s begun to evolve. He wants only to protect his creator, and to be free. To the people of Genesis, he’s an abomination.

Noemi and Abel are enemies in an interstellar war, forced by chance to work together as they embark on a daring journey through the stars. Their efforts would end the fighting for good, but they’re not without sacrifice. The stakes are even higher than either of them first realized, and the more time they spend together, the more they’re forced to question everything they’d been taught was true.

Welcome to the blog tour for Roshani Chokshi’s A Crown of Wishes! Today we have an excerpt from this wonderful book! A Crown of Wishes is the second book in The Star-Touched Queen series. We loved the first book here at Dark Faerie Tales and we can’t wait to read this one too! Read the review here. If you haven’t checked out this series yet, you should! The first two books are available now. A Crown of Wishes was released yesterday from St. Martin’s Griffin! Her sophomore novel includes an intricate setting based on ancient India and Greek mythology.

About Roshani:

Roshani Chokshi is the New York Times bestselling author of THE STAR-TOUCHED QUEEN. Her work has appeared in Strange Horizons, Shimmer, and Book Smugglers. Her short story, “The Star Maiden,” was longlisted for the British Fantasy Science Award.

The guards unbound my wrists and shoved me into a red room. I waited for them to go before pulling out a small silk bag of pearl dust I had swiped from the cosmetics table. I repeated the flimsy plan in my head: Throw the dust in his eyes, gag him, steal his weapons. If the Prince made a sound, I’d hold the dagger to his throat and hold him ransom. If he didn’t make a sound, I’d make him free me for his own life. I knew I couldn’t get far on my own, but most people could be bribed, and if bribery didn’t work, threats always did.

I was glad they hadn’t taken me to a throne room. The last time I was in a throne room, Skanda had ripped away my hopes for the kingdom and destroyed my future.

Arjun did not meet my eyes. And he refused to look up when his new bride and my best friend was hauled into the room. Nalini sank to her knees. Her gaze was frantic: leaping back and forth from me to Arjun and the dead on the ground.

Skanda’s knife was pressed to her throat, sharp and close enough that beads of blood welled onto her skin.

“I know what you want,” said Skanda.

I closed my eyes, shuttering the memory. I looked around the room, wondering which corner was the best position for attacking. At one end, a trellis of roses covered the wall. My chest tightened. I used to grow roses. One trellis for every victory. I had loved watching the blood red petals unfurl around thorns. Looking at them reminded me of my people’s love: red as life. A month before Skanda had me thrown over the Ujijain border, he had set them on fire in a drunken stupor. By the time I got there, it was too late. Every petal had curled and blackened.

“You think these flowers are tokens of Bharata’s love for you,” he had slurred. “I want you to see, little sister. I want you to see just how easy it is for every thing you plan and love and tend to go up in flames.”

I’ll never forget what burning roses look like. All those scarlet petals turning incandescent and furious. Like the last flare of the sun before an eclipse swallows it from the sky.

“You think they love you now, but it doesn’t last. You’re the rose. Not them. They are the flames. And you’ll never see how quickly you’ll catch fire until you’re engulfed. One step out of the line I draw, and they will set you on fire.” I turned my back on the roses.

I chose a corner of the room, and then sank my teeth into the insides of my cheek. It was a habit I’d picked up on the eve of my first battle. Nerves had set my teeth chattering, so I brought out a mirror and glowered at myself. The glowering didn’t help, but I liked the way my face looked. The small movements made my cheekbones look as sharp as scimitars. And when I tightened my lips, I felt dangerous, as if I were hiding knives behind my teeth. Biting my cheeks became a battle tradition. Today I went into battle.

A door in the distance creaked. I ran through what I knew about the Prince of Ujijain. They called him the Fox Prince. And given the way some of the soldiers had jealously said his name, it didn’t seem like a name given because his face had animal features. He spent part of every year at an ashram where all the nobility sent their sons. Reputedly brilliant. Not good. Weak with weapons. Excellent. The guards were fond of retelling the story of his trial with the council. Prince Vikram had to submit to three tasks in order to be named heir of Ujijain— give the dead new life, hold a flame that never burns, and deliver the strongest weapon in the world. For the first task, he whittled a piece of bark into a knife, proving that even discarded things could be given new life in purpose. For the second task, he released a thousand jars of fireflies and held the small insects in his hand, proving that he could hold a flame that never burned. And for the last task, he said that he had poisoned the council. Desperate for the antidote, the council named him heir. The Fox Prince then revealed that he had lied and proved how belief itself was the strongest weapon in the world.

I rolled my eyes every time I heard the tale. It sounded like something that villa gers with a restless imagination would spin beside a fire. I’d heard another rumor about him. Something about his parentage. That he was an orphan who’d moved the Emperor to pity. But I doubted the vicious Emperor would be moved in such a way. The guards told me that the Emperor kept great beasts at his side that could tear the throat out of anyone who dared to cross him.

Footsteps shuffled down the hall. I clutched the silk bag of pearl dust. The Prince might be clever and eloquent, but you c an’t talk your way out of death and I w asn’t going to give him a chance to speak. All my intelligence told me that he was no match for me. I’d have him on his knees and begging for his life in a matter of moments.

Gauri, the princess of Bharata, has been taken as a prisoner of war by her kingdom’s enemies. Faced with a future of exile and scorn, Gauri has nothing left to lose. Hope unexpectedly comes in the form of Vikram, the cunning prince of a neighboring land and her sworn enemy kingdom. Unsatisfied with becoming a mere puppet king, Vikram offers Gauri a chance to win back her kingdom in exchange for her battle prowess. Together, they’ll have to set aside their differences and team up to win the Tournament of Wishes—a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor.

Reaching the tournament is just the beginning. Once they arrive, danger takes on new shapes: poisonous courtesans and mischievous story birds, a feast of fears and twisted fairy revels.

Every which way they turn new trials will test their wit and strength. But what Gauri and Vikram will soon discover is that there’s nothing more dangerous than what they most desire.

Today we have an exciting interview and giveaway about the Lady Helen books by Alison Goodman! The Dark Days Pact is the second book in the Lady Helen series and was released on January 31, 2017 from Viking Books for Young Readers/Penguin. This is a series that we really love here at Dark Faerie Tales! Bridget absolutely loved The Dark Days Club, click here to read her gushing review! Please welcome author Alison Goodman here today to talk about her newest release and more! Then don’t forget to enter the giveaway and the end of the post.

Enter for a chance to win either one (1) grand prize set of Lady Helen books, including a paperback of The Dark Days Club and a hardcover of The Dark Days Pact by Alison Goodman (ARV: $28.98), or to be one of five (5) second prize winners to receive paperback copies of The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman (ARV: $10.99).

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between 12:00 AM Eastern Time on January 23, 2017 and 12:00 AM on February 13, 2017. Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13and older. Winners will be selected at random on or about February 14, 2017. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

Dark Faerie Tales: Alison – thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions for us today! To start things off, will you tell us a little bit about the Lady Helen series and where you got the inspiration to write it?

Alison: Thank you for the invitation! I grew up reading Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer novels and I adored everything about the Regency era. In particular I loved the clash of polite society, where civility reigned supreme, and the earthier emotions of lust and desire. The Lady Helen series came out of that love of Austen and Heyer, but also a love for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Although Lady Helen doesn’t do battle with vampires, she does come up against a demonic force and she is a warrior like Buffy. However, she is not a modern girl dumped in a drawing room; she is a woman of her time and must deal with her society’s extremely constricted view of womanhood.

The series starts with Book 1, The Dark Days Club. Helen is about to make her debut into London society and realizes she has some extra abilities that don’t really befit a young Regency lady. Then she meets the mysterious Lord Carlston who seems to know a great deal about her and her new talents, and has a rather dubious past. Book 2, The Dark Days Pact, takes the action to the Regency seaside resort of Brighton. The trilogy is set in 1812 England and features real historical events as well as some historical figures such as the “mad, bad and dangerous” Lord Byron and his lover Lady Caroline Lamb, The Prince Regent and Beau Brummell.

DFT: Lady Helen is such a wonderful heroine that I completely adored. She is witty, outspoken, kind, and very entertaining. Out of all her amazing qualities, which one do you think is her best?

Alison: I’m glad that you picked up on her kindness because I think that is probably her best quality, and one that, personally, I think is a core attribute of a decent human being! Coming a close second is Helen’s rationality – she thinks things through logically and comes up with clever solutions. She is also curious, adaptable and, most of the time, honest with herself.

DFT: I am seriously madly in love with Lord Carlston. He’s brave, selfless, kind, stubborn, handsome, dashing, and just all around dreamy in my opinion. Is he based off of anyone in real life or is he just a figment of your imagination?

Alison: Good question. I think Lord Carlston is a mix of my imagination, plus the heroes in the stories that I have enjoyed over my lifetime, and the qualities of some people that I know (or have known). A few of the influences you may recognize are Mr Darcy, Ponyboy, Lord Avon from Georgette Heyer’s These Old Shades, another Avon from an old BBC SF show called Blake’s Seven, a spy character called Callan from a TV show of the same name, my wonderful husband, and a couple of my former boyfriends from way back. The precise alchemical recipe to create Lord Carlston is all of the above plus every book I’ve ever read plus every movie and TV show I’ve ever seen, plus the needs of the story, all combined with the hope that what I find dreamy chimes in with what my readers find dreamy too. Simple! ::hahahahaha::

DFT: The relationship between Lord Carlston and Lady Helen is seriously so swoon worthy. I loved the slow burn romance and the wonderful chemistry they have. If you can without spoiling anything, can you tell us what was your favorite Lady Helen/Lord Carlston moment to write?

Alison: I don’t want to say too much, but there is a moment in The Dark Days Club that my editor told me was the hottest she had ever edited! Oh, all right…it’s a kiss, and I loved writing it because it has so much longing and waiting and desire behind it.

DFT: I completely adore the friendship between Darby and Helen. Having a loyal friend you can trust is not easy to find. What was it about Darby that allowed Helen to be so open and honest with her?

Alison: In terms of the historical period, it would be fairly unusual for Helen to be quite so friendly with Darby, but The Dark Days Club’s 1812 England has an added danger that brings them closer together. I have tried to keep their friendship within the realms of what might be feasible between a lady of Helen’s high rank and her maid, so the relationship is definitely not equal, but it’s as equal as I imagined both Helen and Darby would be comfortable expressing considering their different social classes (there was very limited social mobility in the Regency). I think Helen appreciates Darby’s cleverness and honesty, her forthright personality, and her sense of right and wrong. Darby is also curious and extremely loyal, and does not give up easily.

DFT: In the book there are a few different types of demons that the Reclaimers have to fight. Can you tell us about a few of the more prominent/dangerous demons and what some of their abilities are?

Alison: The demons are called Deceivers, and are energy creatures. A Deceiver lives hidden within a human body that it has claimed by destroying the soul of the person inside. They live for centuries, are extremely difficult to locate, and feed on human energies using obscene tentacles to harvest their meal. There are too many of them to wipe out and so a Pact has been made between humans and Deceivers so that they can exist together without causing mass hysteria amongst the general human population. There are at least five types of Deceivers who are attracted to various kinds of human energy: the Pavor which thrive on anguish and pain, the Curors which follow bloodlust and battle, the Hedons which seek out creative energy, and the Luxures that feed on sexual energy. The final type is called a Grand Deceiver, considered to be the most dangerous. When a Grand Deceiver rises, it brings destruction and the threat of annihilation.

DFT: This series is such an amazing story, but I imagine it probably wasn’t the easiest story to write. What would you say was the most difficult part when it came to writing TheDark Days Club / TheDark Days Pact?

Alison: I would say creating the historically accurate setting is difficult, but having said that, it is also my joy. I love all the research and finding a way to weave the interesting facts about the time into the story narrative. Another challenge is creating a consistent and original magic system.

DFT: There is still one more book to come in this incredible series, so I am curious if you would be willing to give us any hints as to what we can expect from the third book?

Alison: I can’t say much because it would be spoiler-city. However I can say that the third book is set in Bath in winter during the Christmas and New Year celebrations. Expect snow, full-on action, gorgeous winter clothes and a very big Twelfth Night ball!

Enter for a chance to win either one (1) grand prize set of Lady Helen books, including a paperback of The Dark Days Club and a hardcover of The Dark Days Pact by Alison Goodman (ARV: $28.98), or to be one of five (5) second prize winners to receive paperback copies of The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman (ARV: $10.99)

Available January 31, 2017 from Viking Books for Young Readers/Penguin

About this Book:

Summer, 1812.

After the scandalous events at her presentation ball in London, Lady Helen has taken refuge at the fashionable seaside resort of Brighton, banished from her family and training as a Reclaimer with the covert Dark Days Club. She must learn to fight the dangerous energy-wielding Deceivers and prepare to face their master, the elusive Grand Deceiver.

As she struggles to put aside her genteel upbringing, Helen realizes that her mentor, Lord Carlston, is fighting his own inner battle. Has the foul Deceiver energy poisoned his soul, or is something else driving him towards violent bouts of madness? Either way, Helen is desperate to help the man with whom she shares a deep but forbidden connection.

When Mr. Pike, the hard bureaucratic heart of the Dark Days Club, arrives in Brighton, he has a secret mission for Helen: find the journal left by a mad rogue Reclaimer, before it falls into the hands of the Deceivers. Coerced by Pike, Helen has no choice but to do as ordered, knowing that the search for the journal may bring about Lord Carlston’s annihilation.

I am so excited to be taking part in the To Catch a Killer by Sheryl Scarborough blog tour! This is a suspenseful YA thriller that I really enjoyed! I was lucky enough to get to interview Sheryl about this fun story and you can check out her responses below. I also had a chance to read and review the book and you can check out my full review here! To Catch a Killer will be released February 7, 2017 from Tor Teen!

About Sheryl:

SHERYL SCARBOROUGH is an award-winning writer for children’s television. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, lives in Washington state, and has always had an obsession with forensics. When she was twelve, her home was the target of a Peeping Tom. Sheryl diligently photographed his footprints and collected the candy wrappers he left behind. Unfortunately, he was never caught. But the desire to use evidence to solve a great mystery was sparked inside Scarborough all the same. To Catch a Killer is her debut.

Dark Faerie Tales: First of all, thank you so much for stopping by and answering a few questions for us today! Can you start off by introducing yourself and telling us a little bit about To Catch a Killer and where you got the inspiration to write if?

Sheryl: Hi. My name’s Sheryl Scarborough and I’m the author of To Catch a Killer. This is the story of sixteen-year-old, Erin Blake whose mother was brutally murdered when she was just two years-old. Creepy as it may seem, the killer left baby Erin in the house, alive. It was three days before the murder was discovered and she was rescued. Erin’s mother never told anyone the identity of her father, so she grew up within a storm of questions about her life. The book begins 14 years later, as Erin decides it’s time to find some answers. She wants to know three things: 1. Who killed her mother? 2. The identity of her father. And, 3. She desperately needs to know that her father—someone she shares DNA with—was not responsible for wrecking her life.

As for inspiration, I have always loved mystery and detective stories, the combination of forensic science and a high school biology class just seemed to offer so many possibilities I couldn’t resist trying to find my way through a story that used it

DFT: Erin is a smart, interesting and resourceful young women and I just adored her. I love that she took the tragedies of her past and turned it into something useful. She has many wonderful characteristics, but which one do you think is her best?

Sheryl: Well, as an imaginary human, Erin has experienced great loss, consequently the people in her life are very important to her. She will easily put her life on the line to protect or spare anyone of them. But, as a writer, I love working with Erin’s geek-girl addiction to science and forensics. It’s so much fun to write. Erin’s emotional side and her scientific side collide at times, but they are a sort of yin and yang to her complex personality.

DFT: Journey Michaels is a suspect in the murder of Miss P and he also happens to be the boy Erin has been crushing on for years! I pretty much fell head over heels for Journey right away and I can easily see why Erin liked him so much! When creating his character did you pull inspiration from a real person or is he just a figment of your imagination?

Sheryl: The wounded soulfulness that is the essence of Journey came from my imagination by thinking about what kind of boy Erin would be drawn to. But I do know young men who have experienced a deep loss and even though they are guys and keep their emotions neatly walled-up, it still shows. It creeps out in vulnerable moments. I tried to capture some of that vulnerability while creating the character of Journey.

DFT: If you can without spoiling anything, will you tell us what was your favorite scene to write in To Catch a Killer?

Sheryl: I have a lot of favorite scenes, but I think the one that really stands out the most for me is when Erin meets her forensic hero. Even though he’s her uncle, she never met him because he lives in Virginia and works for the FBI. But she’s patterned her entire forensic knowledge and investigation after him as a result of reading his books. So, that moment when he shows up and does something really impressive, he turns out to be the bigger-than-life character she always believed he was.

DFT: I was lucky enough to get an early copy of To Catch a Killer and it came with a cool fingerprinting kit. In the promotional material it mentioned that at a very young age you use to create your own fingerprinting kits out of household products! Could you tell us what you used and if you were ever successful in recovering any good fingerprints?

Sheryl: What I did when I was young was collect evidence left behind by a peeping Tom that plagued our house. He always let us know that he was there before he would run away. We would call the police and they would come out to investigate but they never caught him. The next day, I would go out and measure the footprints and gather candy wrappers and things he left behind. Then I would be on the lookout for someone wearing certain shoes and munching on those particular candy bars. I never came up with a viable suspect, either. But that didn’t stop me from trying.

DFT: I believe that To Catch a Killer is a standalone novel (correct me if I’m wrong), but what can you tell us about other projects you are working on?

Sheryl: Actually, there is a sequel to To Catch a Killer and maybe more if there’s enough love shown to these characters in book one and two. The sequel answers one main question left open in book one and opens a few new questions, as well. But, until there is an order for more, I’m working on a Zombie Queen destiny story and a contemporary middle grade with a Valkyrie. Can you tell that I love strong female characters?

Erin Blake has one of those names. A name that, like Natalee Holloway or Elizabeth Smart, is inextricably linked to a grisly crime. As a toddler, Erin survived for three days alongside the corpse of her murdered mother, and the case—which remains unsolved—fascinated a nation. Her father’s identity unknown, Erin was taken in by her mother’s best friend and has become a relatively normal teen in spite of the looming questions about her past.

Fourteen years later, Erin is once again at the center of a brutal homicide when she finds the body of her biology teacher. When questioned by the police, Erin tells almost the whole truth, but never voices her suspicions that her mother’s killer has struck again in order to protect the casework she’s secretly doing on her own.

Inspired by her uncle, an FBI agent, Erin has ramped up her forensic hobby into a full-blown cold-case investigation. This new murder makes her certain she’s close to the truth, but when all the evidence starts to point the authorities straight to Erin, she turns to her longtime crush (and fellow suspect) Journey Michaels to help her crack the case before it’s too late.

Welcome to the blog tour for S. Jae-Jones debut novel Wintersong! This novel is about a young woman’s journey to discover her true self amidst the dark, disconcerting setting of a goblin world. Fans of the movie Labyrinth may love the little easter eggs throughout the book. I know I did! I had hoped to have a review to post today but unfortunately I’ve been sick and my poor dog also had to have major surgery so I haven’t had a chance to type it out yet. Check back for my review soon. In the meantime, check out the first 47 pages of the novel here. You can also check out the Wintersong glossary below as this novel deals heavily in the German language and music.

About S.:

S. Jae-Jones (called JJ) is an artist, an adrenaline junkie, and erstwhile editrix. When not obsessing over books, she can be found jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, co-hosting the Pub(lishing) Crawl podcast, or playing dress-up. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she now lives in North Carolina, as well as many other places on the internet, including Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram, and her blog.

All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King. He is the Lord of Mischief, the Ruler Underground, and the muse around which her music is composed. Yet, as Liesl helps shoulder the burden of running her family’s inn, her dreams of composition and childish fancies about the Goblin King must be set aside in favor of more practical concerns.

But when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl journeys to their realm to rescue her sister and return her to the world above. The Goblin King agrees to let Käthe go—for a price. The life of a maiden must be given to the land, in accordance with the old laws. A life for a life, he says. Without sacrifice, nothing good can grow. Without death, there can be no rebirth. In exchange for her sister’s freedom, Liesl offers her hand in marriage to the Goblin King. He accepts.

Down in the Underground, Liesl discovers that the Goblin King still inspires her—musically, physically, emotionally. Yet even as her talent blossoms, Liesl’s life is slowly fading away, the price she paid for becoming the Goblin King’s bride. As the two of them grow closer, they must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world.